Soul…’ I am not sure what draws me to this word. Time to do some soul searching maybe? A quiet birthday, away from the hustle and bustle of city life is how I welcomed in the big 5’O’. Given my love for nature and my green friends the trees, it’s quite apt that I got to spend a few days soul searching at the lovely ‘Tree of Life’ resort on the outskirts of Jaipur.
I would have loved to spend my 50th at Amaryllis in Kerala, with mum, dad, and the rest of the family. However, the pandemic had other plans and as the second wave hit, we reluctantly waved goodbye to that idea. Instead, a different treat was in store. What makes it very special is that the lovely little Cookie is with us. When is the last time you did something for the first time? I am happy to say this is my first ever holiday with doggie in attendance, and what a wonderful occasion for it to happen.
Back to my fascination with the word soul. My half-written book is titled “A bearing of the Soul” and my coaching venture is called soul2sole coaching. I am captivated by the powerful idea of finding alignment between the ‘human being’ and the ‘human doing’. Every soul has to find its own path, and then walk or run down that road. Self-awareness and clarity of purpose emerge from solitude. The way forward always gets clearer with the help of the kaleidoscope of soul searching. When the noise of the world recedes and the facades are stripped away, the honest, inner truth emerges. The pieces somehow come together and new shapes and forms present themselves. Quiet moments often hold the key that opens the door to that universe. A glimpse of what really matters. Who I am? and what do I care about?
I am blessed to be in good health of body and mind, with wife, son, and the mad little cookie, as I step into the next chapter. In the lap of nature surrounded by wishes from friends and family who are afar but with me in my thoughts. My soul is happy in this solitude. This magic ‘me time, of rest and recharge is what I have learned gives me joy. It is what guides and inspires me as the carousel of life speeds up again. I get set to get back into the playground of life, ready for another ride on the merry-go-round, powered and empowered by this quiet time.
A soul-stice to celebrate my 50th seems so perfect. I looked up the etymology of solstice and here’s what I found. The Latin words sol for “Sun” and sistere for “To Stand Still” together make for the point where the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest point in the sky for the year and thus the name for a day when it seems to stand still. The journey inward is the journey onwards. From stillness blooms meaningful progress. What have I learned in the years gone by? The heart knows what the heart wants. Intuition and ‘that feeling I can’t quite explain’ is smarter than all the logic in my head. In the quiet moments. If I slow down and listen to my soul in solitude, I always find the answers.
This quiet family time in the midst of nature allows me to recognise that I am filled with positive energy and excited with the opportunity of protecting all that is beautiful in the world. I do this by helping myself and others find their true north. In doing so, I am being me as I strive to create a wonderful space to live and let live. A place where souls are in alignment with their soles. Where companies and brands are true to their mission, visions and values. As a coach and a communicator, helping my clients find this alignment with their true north, truly gives me satisfaction. The more days I spend in service of this purpose, the happier I am as a person. Much deydreaming to still be done and another day dawns, as this Dey gets to see what lies on the other side of 50. My gratitude to all the kind souls who brought me to this moment.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
A trusted coaching and communications professional, Nikhil Dey is a certified life and leadership coach (International Coach Federation - ICF). Nurturing talent and helping clients achieve their goals is what makes him happy. He loves learning from students of communication, teaching courses and guest lecturing at various educational institutions. When he is not working you will find him on the tennis court or out for long walks with his family and four legged friends.
Previously he has held senior leadership positions at Weber Shandwick and Genesis BCW.
He can be reached on twitter @deydreaming
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